1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote control system for a vehicle which can automatically lock and unlock the door(s) of a vehicle in wireless communication and more particularly to a remote control system for a vehicle which can automatically lock the door(s) of a vehicle when a user (driver) who carries with him an electronic or entry key (with a portable transmitter/receiver) which includes an identification code assigned to the vehicle, walks away a first predetermined distance from the vehicle and automatically unlock the same when the user comes back to a second predetermined distance.
More particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement of the above mentioned remote door lock controlling apparatus in which when a manual control signal released through manual operation on a portable transmitter/receiver is received by the vehicle, a door lock control action corresponding to the manual control signal is carried out with priority.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lock/unlock remote-control systems for vehicle doors are known having a so-called, xe2x80x9cwelcome functionxe2x80x9d. In the systems, every user (driver) of a vehicle owns an entry key (with a portable transmitter/receiver) which upon receiving a response demand signal that is transmitted from a transmitter installed in the vehicle and is receivable within a predetermined range about the vehicle (which may be referred to as xe2x80x9chaving a predetermined communication areaxe2x80x9d hereinafter), can transmit a response signal carrying a unique identification code assigned in advance to each vehicle. When the user walks away from the predetermined first range of the vehicle and its entry key is disabled to receive the response demand signal and thus to transmit back the response signal, the door of the vehicle is automatically locked. When the entry key moves into the predetermined second range and its response demand signal is received by the transmitter/receiver which then responses thereto to send back a response signal, the door is automatically unlocked.
For example, some of such conventional xe2x80x9cwelcome functionxe2x80x9d based lock/unlock remote-control systems for vehicle doors are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publications (Heisei)5-106376 and (Heisei)10-25939 in which a transmitter mounted on a vehicle is provided for intermittently transmitting a response demand signal having a predetermined communication area and, when receiving a signal responding to the response demand signal from an entry key which is carried by the user of a vehicle and moves into the predetermined communication area, examining whether the response signal is valid (regular) or not (welcome code examination). When the response signal has been examined to be valid, the door(s) of the vehicle is automatically unlocked. On the contrary, when the response signal is not valid or when the entry key stays out of the predetermined communication area and the vehicle-mounted transmitter receives no response signal, the door remains locked.
Accordingly, when the user of the vehicle carrying the entry key simply walks away from the predetermined first range of the vehicle, the door of the vehicle can automatically be locked without paying any attention to or operating the entry key. When the user comes into the predetermined second range, the door can automatically be unlocked. This requires no boresome actions of unlocking the door for riding the vehicle as well as contributes to the prevention of failing to lock door(s), and of vehicle theft.
The conventional systems have some advantages, particularly once the communication area is preset to a smaller size (for example, less than one meter in radius), the systematic locking of the door can easily be confirmed after getting off the vehicle, the power consumption for transmitting signals can be as small as not hostile to a battery, and the ID code (uniquely assigned to a vehicle) can hardly be intercepted by any other parties. The locking of the door may be easily confirmed by auditorily and visually perceiving the sound of a door locking mechanism and the shift of an inside door lock knob to the lock position.
Another conventional system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication (Heisei)10-153025 is provided in which a transmission antenna for detecting the approaching of an object into a middle-sized area around a vehicle is mounted on the vehicle in addition to an antenna for transmitting the response demand signal. Upon detecting the approaching of the object or a driver into the middle-sized area, the vehicle releases the response demand signal with a small-sized predetermined communication area and, when receiving a response signal to the response demand signal from the entry key of the right driver, unlock the door. Also, a second transmitting means having a greater communication area is provided for locking the door. The door is thus locked when the communication to the entry key with the second transmitting means is disabled.
With such a conventional apparatus, once the user of the entry key (for example, the driver and may be referred to as an xe2x80x9centry keyxe2x80x9d hereinafter) has disembarked from the vehicle whose doors were thus locked automatically and has stepped out from the predetermined first communication area, a passenger of the vehicle who intends to return back to the vehicle for e.g. fetching its own article has to be accompanied with the user of the entry key in the communication area for unlocking the doors.
Also, while the doors of the vehicle are not locked with the user of the entry key disembarked from the vehicle and working about the vehicle, for example, ordering in the trunk room, or the doors are automatically unlocked with the entry key coming close to the vehicle but not arriving at the vehicle, a passenger is not permitted to urgently lock the doors even if any emergency case happens such as a third person sneakingly approaching the vehicle or articles in the vehicle being stolen from the other side of the vehicle where the door is open.
An apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication (Heisei)10-25939 only illustrates an electronic (entry) key equipped with relevant manual switch. However, it fails to describe the relation between the door locking and unlocking with the manual switches on the electronic key and the automatic door locking and unlocking of a primarily basic function, i.e. whether the door locking and unlocking can be carried out by operating the manual switches on the electronic key when the apparatus is in the automatic locking and unlocking mode. Even if the door locking and unlocking is capable to be carried out under such condition, its practical procedure is not clarified at all.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote door lock controlling apparatus for a vehicle which is capable of locking/unlocking the door(s) of the vehicle from a remote position upon request of the user of an entry key through giving the priority to the door lock control action corresponding to the operation of a manual switch on the entry key even when its door control function is in the automatic locking/unlocking mode enabled upon receiving a response signal from the entry key.
In the first aspect of the present invention, a remote door lock controlling apparatus for a vehicle comprises: a transmitter mounted on the vehicle for transmitting a response demand signal receivable in a predetermined range outside of the vehicle; a vehicle mounted receiver for receiving a response signal transmitted from a portable transmitter/receiver in response to the response demand signal; and a door lock controlling means for controlling at least either locking or unlocking of the door(s) of the vehicle in response to the reception of the response signal at the vehicle mounted receiver, wherein when the vehicle mounted receiver receives a manual control signal which is different from the response signal and transmitted through manual operation of a switch mounted on the portable transmitter/receiver, the door lock controlling means carries out the door lock control action corresponding to the manual control signal with priority over the door lock control action corresponding to the response signal. In addition, a timer is provided for stopping the prior action of the door lock control corresponding to the manual control signal when its setting period has been elapsed.
Accordingly, when a passenger wants to return back to the vehicle to fetch its article after the door is automatically locked with the portable transmitter/receiver (an entry key) stepped out from the predetermined range, its switching action on the entry key for transmitting the manual control signal can unlock the door with priority over the door lock control action corresponding to the response signal. The conventional disadvantages that the passenger has to be accompanied with the user of the entry key for returning back into the communication range will successfully be eliminated.
Also, even if the doors of the vehicle are not locked with the user of the entry key disembarked from the vehicle and staying within the communication range, or the doors are automatically unlocked with the entry key coming close to the vehicle but not arriving at the vehicle, the doors can instantly be locked by the user to prevent any third person from opening the door of the vehicle and avoid any criminal event such as vehicle theft.
For example, as described previously, when a passenger wants to return back to the vehicle to fetch its article after the door is automatically locked, and the door is unlocked, the timer allows the door to be automatically locked after its setting time by the original door lock control action of the welcome function depending on the distance between the entry key and the vehicle without a manual operation to lock the door again using the switch on the entry key. Hence, any failure of locking door(s) can be compensated.
In case that the door is shifted from the unlocked state to the locked state by an accidental or unintentional switching on of the switch on the entry key with the user walking towards the vehicle, it can automatically be unlocked by the door lock control action of the welcome function when the setting period of the timer is elapsed. Accordingly, no manual action is needed for unlocking the door and the utility can be improved.
In the second aspect of the present invention, the remote door lock controlling apparatus may be modified in that the prior door lock control action corresponding to the manual control signal is stopped when another manual control signal is received by the vehicle mounted receiver during the prior door lock control action.
This allows the prior door lock control action, which has been selected for locking or unlocking the door with priority by the corresponding manual switch on the entry key being selected, to be stopped by only manually operating any one of the switches on the entry key. It is not necessary for the user to remember the priority door lock control action and carry out its reverse action. Thereafter, the door lock control action of the welcome function depending on the distance between the entry key and the vehicle is systematically performed to develop automatically the optimum locked or unlocked state of the doors. Hence, while the theft protection is ensured, the utility can be improved.
In the third aspect of the present invention, the remote door lock controlling apparatus is modified in that the transmission of the manual control signal from the portable transmitter/receiver has priority over the transmission of the response signal.
This allows the manual control signal to be transmitted with priority upon its corresponding switch on the entry key being turned on. Accordingly, the door lock control action desired and initiated by the user can be executed as soon as possible. For example, when the user walks into the communication range to cause the door to be unlocked with the entry key receiving the response demand signal and transmitting the response signal to hold the door(s) in unlocked state, the door(s) can be instantly locked again by manual operation of the switch on the entry key upon finding a third undesired person staying close to the vehicle for activating the theft protection function.